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“What the hellare you doing in New York?”
My sister tossed her purse on the coffee table. “I keep asking myself the same thing.” She surveyed my dressing room where I’d been preparing for the shoot to start in few days. “This all you get, Hollywood? I thought you were a big deal.”
I wrapped her in a bear hug, and despite her audible groan, she hugged me back.
“I’ve got whiskey and SportsCenter. What more do I need?”
She made a face. “Maybe it’s better than I thought.”
I released her and grinned as I looked behind her. Propped in the doorway was someone I hadn’t seen in an age. “Easton Carter.” I extended my hand to the man whose family owned the company Mulaney worked for. “You got stuck coming with my sister to the big, bad city?”
He slapped my back. “Somebody had to make sure she didn’t tear this place apart.”
Mulaney scowled as he and I fist bumped. “How long you here for?”
I’d nearly passed out when I’d gotten her text that she was in town.
“Already too long. We’re headed for the airport straight from here.” She’d found the whiskey and poured up three glasses.
“Sit down.” I gestured to the sofa, moving a throw pillow out of the way. “If I’d known you were coming, I could have introduced you to my friends up here. Y’all could have stayed a few days.”
I dropped down beside my sister and scrubbed her hair, thrilled to have familiar faces around.
She slapped at my hands. “How old are we?”
“When did you get so worried about how your hair looks?”
A fist landed in my side, and I winced. “Damn, Mulaney.”
Triumph glittered in her eyes. Guess it never got old beating up on her little brother. Truth be told, it was like coming home.
Easton looked on in amusement. “Just like old times.” He held up his glass and we clinked, but my sister slung back the amber liquid without touching her glass to his.
I studied her. She was brash, but that looked like a brush off if I’d ever seen one. I rubbed my chin and looked over at Easton, whose mouth had flattened, but other than that he showed no signs of her behavior bothering him. Maybe I was cooking up something that wasn’t there.
“How’s your mama?” I propped my ankle on my knee.
Easton turned serious, and Mulaney stiffened. “Fighting like hell.”
“She looks good.” Mulaney’s tone was one of quiet reverence. Loretta Carter had been battling cancer for some time now, but as far as I knew, she hadn’t gotten the all clear.
“You should’ve seen her when she got that subscription you sent her for audiobooks. Think she listened to all the ones you narrated, even if she didn’t care much for the story.” A wry smile twisted Easton’s lips.
“Glad she liked it.” I bumped knees with Mulaney. “Are you ever gonna tell me why you’re here?” At this point, I didn’t really care, I was so happy to see her.
She glanced at Easton, who slung back his whiskey. “Business.”
“I figured that,” I said, unimpressed with her explanation. “On a Saturday?”
Mulaney slouched down in her seat and leaned her head on the back of the sofa. “Just dealing with some bullshit happening at work.”
“I could use a refill.” Easton pushed out of the chair and grabbed the decanter, topping all of us off.
Lightly, I punched her in the arm. “Nothing you can’t handle.” Pride filled my voice. My big sister was a force to be reckoned with in the oil industry. She’d made her place at the table among the best and brightest in her field.
“When are you going to see your mama?”
I frowned when she changed the subject and sent the implied accusation right back at her. “You ain’t been in a while either. Last I heard, Mitch had to come see you in Houston.”
